Noto's cathedral rises impressively above Corso Vittorio Emmanuele and is approached by a wide and graceful flight of steps. The dome collapsed in 1996, but is now back in place, and the whole edifice has been restored to an almost Disneyesque perfection after years of grime and neglect.

Other fine Baroque buildings in the town, a Unesco World Heritage Site, have been similarly scrubbed, though plenty of buildings are still gently crumbling.

Noto is easy to visit. Simply wander the length of the Corso, as long and graceful as an arrow, diving down side streets here and there, and not missing Via Nicolaci, at the top of which is the beautiful elliptical façade of the Chiesa di Montevirgine. Along one side of Via Nicolaci stands the Palazzo Villadorata, whose many playfully buttressed balconies – horses, griffons, nymphs, cherubs, fierce bald men – jut from a severely Classical façade.

Our guide, Carola, an old friend, insisted we go inside, and quite right: the palazzo's poignant Empire-style interior, with frescoed walls and ceilings, has been miraculously preserved, unmarked by time.

At the bottom of the street stands the church of San Carlo, whose bell tower offers fine views. Opposite the cathedral, the Municipio (town hall) has an exuberant trompe l'oeil ceiling in its "Hall of Mirrors".

We had joined the Corso not at its eastern end, via the shady public gardens and the monumental Porta Reale, but halfway along its length, with spacious, verdant Piazza XVI Maggio and the grandiose Chiesa di San Domenica before us.

Burnished a dusty gold in the fading light and flanked by huge palm trees, this initial introduction to Noto was a surprise, more north African than Mediterranean and yet somehow so Sicilian – enigmatic and unruly.

By now it was time forgelato– two cafés on the Corso, Sicilia and Costanzo, vie for superiority. At Caffè Sicilia, opened in 1892, fourth-generation owner Corrado Assenza is the Heston Blumenthal of Italian confectionery, creating radical cakes such as saffron with sour orange rind and ices flavoured with black olive or basil.

We tried wonderful cappuccino ghiacciato – iced coffee with almond milk granita – strawberry paired with tomato, and tomato with basil with – "my God, what's that?" – a garlic-tasting "clove" in the middle. Carola had warned us to prepare for surprises.

The interior of south-east Sicily is one of rough mountains and deep ravines, but it is the Baroque towns– eight in all – that sprang up after the devastating earthquake of 1693 which capture the attention. Ragusa, Modica, Scicli and Ipsica all catch the eye, but the finest of them is Noto, whose rebuilding to the south of the original town (now known as Noto Antica) was a triumph of urban planning and architectural harmony, orchestrated by Giuseppe Lanza, Duke of Camastra, who employed the best architects of the day. The result, initiated just a week after the earthquake struck, is a late Baroque fantasy played out in fragile, honey-coloured stone.

GETTING THERE

EasyJet (0905 821 0905; www.easyjet.com) flies to Catania from Gatwick. Prices one way start from £40. Car hire such as Europcar (0871 384 1087; www.europcar.co.uk) is available at Catania airport.

Noto can be reached by train from Catania (approximately nine trains per day; www.trenitalia.com) changing at Syracuse. Each leg takes about 30 minutes and costs €4/£3. Remember, though, that Noto station is tiny, and a 15-minute walk from Corso Vittorio Emanuele.

Alternatively, you can take the bus from the Via d’Amico terminal in Catania airport (about five daily, 95 minutes; 0039 931 66710 www.interbus.it) which terminates in the Giardino Pubblico, close to Porta Reale, and costs €8/£6.

THE INSIDE TRACK

During the annual Infiorata flower festival (third weekend of May), Via Nicolaci as well as other streets, courtyards and pavements are entirely covered with petals arranged in intricate designs.

One ticket (€6/£5), bought at any of the three sights, allows entry to the Teatro Comunale, Palazzo Villadorata and the Museo Civico’s contemporary art collection.

Try if possible to time your arrival at Noto in the early evening, when the combination of dusk and floodlights makes its Baroque buildings a magical sight.

Those with mobility problems should be aware that Noto’s churches, including its cathedral, are mostly elevated above ground level and reached by enormous staircases, making access difficult.

Be sure to see the Teatro Comunale, where a thick velvet curtain swept aside in the foyer reveals a divine auditorium: red and gold, tiny and round, with plush velvet seats on the floor and honeycombed by jewel-like boxes inserted around the walls.

DID YOU KNOW?

Aftershocks from the earthquake in 1693 were still being felt more than a year later.

If you want to taste the ice creams in cafés Sicilia and Costanzo, avoid visiting Noto on a Monday – when both are closed.

There’s no bus to Noto Antica; by car, follow signs from the western end of the Corso. Taxis (from the rank near Porta Reale) cost around €30/£23 one way. You can break the trip with lunch at the charming Borgo Alveria (see below) and summon a cab back to Noto from there.

The spiral staircase of the bell tower of San Carlo Borromeo is especially steep and should be tackled with care.